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Measuring patients’ experiences with palliative care: the CQ-index palliative care.

Claessen, S.J.J., Francke, A.L., Deliens, L. Measuring patients’ experiences with palliative care: the CQ-index palliative care. Palliative Medicine: 2010, 24(4 suppl.), p. S 77. Abstract. 6th Research Congress of European Association Palliative Care. 10-12 juni 2010, Glasgow.
Aim: The CQ-index (Consumer Quality-index) is a standardized approach for measuring the quality of care from the perspective of care users. A CQ-index always combines 1. questions on actual care experiences and 2. questions on how important certain quality aspects are for respondents. The CQ-index Palliative Care (CQ-index PC) has one version for patients and one for relatives. This presentation will focus on data collected among patients and the main aim is to discuss which quality aspects have high priority for improvement according to patients. Methods: The content of the CQ-index PC was based on literature, three focus groups with care givers and relatives and three individual interviews with patients. The CQ-index PC was administered to patients in various settings (e.g. hospices, at home, hospitals, nursing homes). Inclusion criteria were having a life expectancy of six months or less, or receiving palliative treatment. Descriptive analyses were conducted. Quality improvement scores were analysed using the formula: proportion negative score on experience importance score. Results: 35 care organizations were involved in the study and 133 patients met the inclusion criteria in the inclusion period of 2.5 months. Eighty-five questionnaires could be used for the analyses (response rate 64%). The care aspects with the three highest improvement scores were: professional support for depressed mood, anxiety, and dyspnoea. The relatively high improvement scores indicate that palliative care providers have to pay most attention to these aspects. In contrast, politeness of care providers, respect for the patient’s life stance, as well as the timely provision of practical aids had relatively low ‘‘improvement scores’’. Conclusion: From a patient perspective, priorities for improvement concern the support of patients with a depressed mood, anxiety and dyspnoea.(aut. ref.)